Wasn't this taken care of in the "Harrowing of Hell"?
Sorry…what???? What on earth is the “harrowing of hell”?
Never heard of it. Perhaps it is connected with the KJV, then it would be an error in translation like the very word “hell” itself.
Where was Jesus for three days before his resurrection?
(the heart of the earth = the realm of the dead)
What was “Sheol” to a Jew? And I’m not talking about apostate Judaism, but the original Jewish faith that was based on the word of God.
Solomon wrote…
”For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also, their love and their hate and their jealousy have already perished, and they no longer have any share in what is done under the sun. . . . .Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave,(sheol) where you are going.” (Eccl 9:5-6, 10)
So again, what religion was Jesus, and what scripture did he teach from? What did ancient Jews (as opposed to more modern day Judaism) understand about the condition of the dead? They did not have any belief in an immortal soul that departed from the body at death. That idea was picked up from pagan Greek notions…not from scripture. The dead “slept” in sheol, unconscious and unable to interact with the living in any way. Where did Jesus say Lazarus was before he raised him back to life? (John 11:11-14)
So where was Jesus for the three days between his death and resurrection….he himself tells us…
Matthew 12:
”…the Pharisees said: “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 In reply he said to them: “A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Joʹnah the prophet. 40 For just as Joʹnah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.”
Jesus did not go anywhere for the whole time it was prophesied that he would he held in sheol, just as Jonah was confined to the belly of the fish, so Jesus was confined in unconscious death in the grave.
If you consult the Jewish Tanakh, “Sheol” is translated as simply “the grave”….the place where all the dead end up, righteous or not. That is why Jesus can call both from the same place.
He took captivity captive.
Is that what it really says? The NASB renders that verse…”
“Therefore it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
When Paul used the expression “gifts in men,” he was quoting King David, who had said of Jehovah:
“You have ascended on high; you have carried away captives; you have taken gifts in the form of men.” (Psalm 68:18) After the Israelites had been in the Promised Land for some years, Jehovah figuratively “ascended” Mount Zion and made Jerusalem the capital of the kingdom of Israel with David as its king. But who were the “gifts in the form of men”? They were men taken captive during the conquest of the land. Some of these captives were later made available to the Levites to help with the work at the tabernacle. (Ezra 8:20)
Who were the captives Jesus took? The “gifts in men” he took away from Satan and showed them how to take care of his disciples after he left the earth…the ones who continued to look after his interests on earth.
Descended before he ascended.
Yes, he came down from heaven and carried out his commission before ascending back to where he was before.
Preached to those who were disobedient in the days of Noah.
The “spirits in prison” to whom Jesus preached were the demons who had materialized in Noah’s day, causing God to take drastic action to force these wicked spirits back to the spirit realm where God took away their ability to make human bodies for themselves. Their wicked offspring (Nephilim) perished in the flood as well as the humans they influenced, because they had no right to exist.
But the scriptures do not say that he did this during the three days he was in his grave. It was after his resurrection, whilst in spirit form.
But I agree that since this happened once, it can and will happen again
There is much that is pictorial in the scriptures. As Peter said of those ignoring the warning example of Noah’s day…….
“For they deliberately ignore this fact, that long ago there were heavens and an earth standing firmly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God; 6 and that by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was flooded with water. 7 But by the same word the heavens and the earth that now exist are reserved for fire and are being kept until the day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly people.” (2 Peter 3:5-7)
The
destruction of “ungodly people” is their elimination from existence because there will be no ungodly people left to destroy the future peace and happiness in the “new earth”….”righteousness“ is to be the expectation there. ( 2 Peter 3:13) We all have our opportunity in this life to show God who we are…..he is looking for
obedient ones, not just
good people, because some of the most dedicated humanitarians are atheists. So it’s about the two most important commandments that Jesus stated…..
Love for God with one’s whole heart, soul, mind and strength is first and foremost, and secondly to
love our neighbors as ourselves.
Those who have no love for God will not be found in the world to come, no matter how much they love humanity or the earth, or it’s creatures.
And not limited to the ignorant. God will restore all things.
If you believe that the human race has endured all these thousands of years of pain and suffering only to get a small slap on the wrist for their wickedness, then think again. What was the purpose of subjecting all humanity to this life of sin and death in the first place? It was to show them where disobedience to God leads, because they could not be told. Giving them first hand experience, leaves no room for excuses.
The “ungodly” will have no future.
God will restore all things, but he has no room for those who have not learned the lessons that living this life has provided.
